This website is dedicated to Montreal. I will be reporting and commenting on news, politics, sports, and human interest stories that pertain to Montreal. I am an anglophone, living in Montreal for the past 48 years (my entire life).

Thursday, November 6, 2008

The Montreal Canadiens had an impressive month of October—points-wise, that is.

The Canadiens went 7-1-1 in just nine games this past month, but something seems to be missing from the Canadiens game. It’s that spark that got them the Eastern Conference regular-season title last season.

It just doesn’t seem like the Canadiens are as exciting to watch this season thus far. Maybe that’s because of the high expectations this season, and the low expectations set on the Habs last season.

So far, stud players from last season have been somewhat struggling offensively. Last season's top trio of Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn, and Alex Kovalev have yet to really get things going, as they combined for just six goals in the month of October.

Montreal's resale housing market declined two per cent in 2008, the Greater Montreal Real Estate Board said yesterday. For the first nine months of the year, 8,463 properties changed hands in the Montreal region. Property listings increased 12 per cent compared with the same period a year ago. The average selling price increase was five per cent this past quarter, vs. four per cent in the second quarter and six per cent in the first quarter. "Despite the rise in listings observed over the last two quarters, the high demand is such that the resale market remains favourable to sellers," Michel Beausejour, the board's CEO, said.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Quebec's Premier Jean Charest (R) and his wife Michele Dionne walk to the Lieutenant Governor's office to call an election in Quebec City, November 5, 2008. Quebec voters will head to poll in a provincial election on December 8. REUTERS/Mathieu Belanger (CANADA)

Quebec Premier Seeks 'Clear Mandate' In CallingDec. 8 Election -- CBC

Premier Jean Charest has asked Quebec's lieutenant-governor to dissolve the legislature in order to hold a provincial election on Dec. 8.

Charest emerged from a brief meeting with Lt.-Gov. Pierre Duchesne Wednesday morning and boarded the Liberals' campaign bus before heading to an outdoor news conference on the shore of the St. Lawrence River, in west-end Quebec City.

Charest said he would be pushing for a "clear mandate" and majority government after his Liberals were relegated to a minority position in the March 2007 election. The Liberals currently have 48 of the province's 125 seats, compared with 39 for the Démocratique du Québec and 36 for the Parti Québécois, while two seats are vacant.

Charest told reporters gathered at the Quai des Cajeux that it's not wise to have three sets of hands on the steering wheel in difficult economic times.

Oft-injured Rick DiPietro was one of over 100 players on the NHL all-star ballot released on Tuesday, ahead of the likes of Tim Thomas, who leads all NHL goaltenders in save percentage.

DiPietro has appeared in net in just three games for the New York Islanders this season and will be out from four to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Saturday. He suffered a hip injury in last year's all-star game and had surgery in the summer on both his hip and knee.

Boston goalie Thomas wasn't included, despite posting two shutouts early in the season and leading the league with a .944 save percentage.

QUEBEC — Quebec Premier Jean Charest is meeting his cabinet this morning and is then widely expected to call a provincial election for Dec. 8.

Charest is scheduled to meet with Lt.-Gov. Pierre Duchesne at 9:45 a.m. ET to ask him to dissolve the legislature. The Liberal leader will be pushing for a majority government after being relegated to a minority position in the March 2007 election.

Charest will be hoping that Quebecers see him as the best politician to manage the economy in tough times.

Recent opinion polls have placed the Liberals ahead of the Parti Quebecois and the Action democratique du Quebec but Charest will be looking to make significant gains among the critical francophone vote.

The Liberals have 48 of the province's 125 seats, compared with 39 for the ADQ and 36 for the PQ, while two seats are vacant.

Quebec's finance minister has released a pre-election economic update she said will allow the Liberals to govern the province over the next few years without posting a deficit.

Monique Jérôme-Forget's update opens the door for Premier Jean Charest to call a snap election this week and launch a campaign expected to focus on who is best positioned to guide the province through the current economic crisis.

The Quebec government has a $2.3 billion reserve that will guarantee balanced budgets in 2008-2009, and 2009-2010, Jérôme-Forget said.

Quebec is well positioned to resist a recession, the budget will be balanced and the province will experience mild growth in 2008 and 2009, Finance Minister Monique Jérôme-Forget said yesterday.

"Quebec is in a very good position to go through the recession that is being experienced south of the border," the minister said, delivering her financial update on the eve of today's expected election call.

In her budget last March, Jérôme-Forget projected 1.5-per-cent growth in Quebec this year and two per cent in 2009.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

The Montreal Alouettes and B.C. Lions dominated the Canadian Football League division all-star teams revealed Monday.

Montreal, which finished first in its division with an 11-7 record, claimed 14 of the 27 spots on the East all-star team (nine on offence). The Lions, second in the West at 11-7, had 13 players on their division's team, including seven on defence.

"When you give up the least number of sacks, awards go to the offensive line and when you're the top passing team and have three of the top receivers in the league, they all get rewarded," said Alouettes general manager Jim Popp.

"We're overwhelmed that we had 14. It's fantastic. But when you win the division, you always get more."

OTTAWA, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Quebec's minority Liberal government said on Tuesday it would keep balanced budgets in 2008-09 and 2009-10 despite the global financial crisis.

Finance Minister Monique Jerome-Forget said in a statement that the government had cut its forecast for economic growth in the province in 2008 to 0.8 percent from the 1.5 percent it predicted in its March budget.

It also cut the forecast for growth next year to 0.6 percent from 2.0 percent. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Rob Wilson)

The next salvo in Quebec's pre-election campaign will be fired by the province's finance minister on Tuesday when she delivers an economic update that will form the backbone of the Liberals' push for a majority government.

Monique Jérôme-Forget's economic statement is widely expected to be followed a day later by Premier Jean Charest's launch of a fall election campaign that will see Quebecers go to the polls on Dec. 8.

Jérôme-Forget said the update won't be affected by federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's announcement Monday that increases in equalization payments to the provinces will be smaller over the next few years.

"This has no impact on my economic statement tomorrow [Tuesday]," Jérôme-Forget said in Toronto as she attended a meeting of the country's finance ministers.

"I think that my statement will finally reveal the situation in Quebec for the next year and the year after that."

MONTREAL — The next salvo in Quebec’s pre-election campaign will be fired by the province’s finance minister today when she delivers an economic update that will form the backbone of the Liberals’ push for a majority government.

Monique Jerome-Forget’s economic statement is widely expected to be followed a day later by Premier Jean Charest’s launch of a fall election campaign that will see Quebecers go to the polls on Dec. 8.

Jerome-Forget said the update won’t be affected by federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s announcement Monday that increases in equalization payments to the provinces will be smaller over the next few years.

"This has no impact on my economic statement tomorrow (Tuesday)," Jerome-Forget said in Toronto as she attended a meeting of the country’s finance ministers.

"I think that my statement will finally reveal the situation in Quebec for the next year and the year after that."

Charest has made it clear his pitch will be that he needs a majority government to steer the province through the stormy economic waters ahead.

Monday, November 3, 2008

One of the oldest lending libraries in the country still in operation, it reeks of character.

Started 180 years ago, the inner-city library kicks off a program of anniversary events with a fundraiser on Wednesday.

It remains a private institution, used by 80,000 people a year, and for the most part depends on private donations to survive. Ninety per cent of its $400,000 annual operating budget comes from donors, business rentals and library fees.

"Our front line service positions are staffed by 125 volunteers," said Lynn Verge, the library's executive director, "We have only eight paid full-time staff. It's the volunteers that set us apart, and contribute to the building's warmth, and give the place a human scale."

MONTREAL(RushPRnews)3/11/2008–Readers of the Montreal Gazette may have gotten their first glance into the newspaper’s fate, as pages produced by the Financial Post (a part of the National Post newspaper), were inserted into The Gazette’s business section and into all ten Canwest-owned daily newspapers this Saturday. The Montreal Gazette has been in a fragile position, as parent company Canwest Publishing Inc. refuses to back down on its outsourcing demands or its forward attempts at centralizing Canadian news. RushPRnews contacted Director of Communications of Canwest Publishing, Phyllise Gelfand, hoping to interview her for further details into the company’s actions. Gelfand responded to an initial phone message with an inquiry about what information this reporter was seeking. Subsequent requests were not answered.

Not only putting the job security of many Gazette workers at high risk, but also greatly minimizing the production and quality of local content, Saturday’s business page was just the tip of the iceberg as to what could become of the sanctity of Canadian journalism as a whole. In order to fit these Financial Post pages in the Gazette’s Saturday Business section, the amount of locally-produced content shrunk from five pages to less than three. Some of the cuts included bond listings, TSX industry indexes and mutual fund listings. Even the number of foreign currencies listed, dropped from 40 to 10.

Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo relaxes with his wife Alexia and children Olivia, and Ahtena at his home on Sunday. THE GAZETTE/Marco Campanozzi

From The National Post:

MONTREAL -- Life cannot possibly clash more than this. The exhilarating high that comes from the arrival of a new baby and then, days later, the stunning news of a life-threatening disease. Those polarized feelings were experienced by Alexia Kontolemos and her husband, Montreal Alouettes' quarterback Anthony Calvillo.

In October 2007, the family welcomed the birth of their second daughter, Olivia Christina. Exactly one week later, on Oct. 22, Alexia learned she had cancer. Her mind started racing. How and why could this happen? There's no history of the dreaded disease in her family. And, finally, the inevitable thought crossed her mind -- death. She was only 33. What would happen if she died? How would her husband cope? Who would look after Athena, now 3, and the new baby?

This morning, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty will be meeting his provincial and territorial counterparts in Toronto, and he will not be bearing good news.

With most forecasters predicting that Ottawa will go into deficit next year if not sooner, Mr. Flaherty will be sending an early signal that transfer payments will not be spared from forthcoming federal budget cuts. Tellingly, last week he noted that equalization payments to the provinces have been growing at 15% a year, suggesting that Ottawa is about to cap the magnitude of the annual increases.

Some observers interpreted this as a shot across Ontario's bow; that is, as a signal not to expect to receive equalization payments from Ottawa. In fact, as the largest recipient of equalization dollars, it's Quebec that has most reason to be concerned. Moreover, in light of the election results, Stephen Harper's Conservatives may now see their future fortunes tied to Ontario, and not to Quebec.

Two notorious Quebec comedians have pranked Sarah Palin, tricking the Republican vice-presidential nominee into thinking she was speaking with French President Nicolas Sarkozy during a Saturday afternoon phone call.

During the nearly seven-minute chat, the conversation ranges from politics to hunting with vice-president Dick Cheney.

The topics also touch on Palin's political future -- a sensitive topic for some of John McCain's campaign staffers, who have suggested Palin is already looking at a presidential run in the next four years.

"I see you as a president one day, too," says one of the pranksters to Palin.

MONTREAL - It turns out there is a price to thumbing your nose at a government that showered you with money and nation status, in favour of a separatist party that can only be in opposition.

Quebec newspapers are filled with hand-wringing over the province's reduced clout in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's new cabinet. Electing just 10 Conservative MPs -- none of them anywhere near Montreal -- and giving the Tories 22% of the popular vote is not the way to Mr. Harper's heart.

"Will Quebec be heard?" Bernard Descôteaux wonders in Le Devoir's editorial. He says it would be wrong for the Conservatives to blame Quebec voters for their poor showing in the province. "It rather should be seen as the result of the failure of the Conservative team to convince Quebecers to elect more Conservatives," he writes.